Fertility

Trends

Relationship with death rates is important. High birth rates to counter high death rates of infant mortality. Improvments in healthcare, sanitation and diet have led to a drop in infant mortality therefore reducing birth rates.

Factors affecting fertility:

Tradition and Culture: In some parts demand for high rates of reproduction are high

Education for women: with education comes knowledge of birth control, more employment opportunities and wider choices

Youthful population: larger number of young women ensure population growth even if births per women are low

Social class: fertility decreases from lower to higher classes

Religion: Islam and Roman Catholic Church oppose use of artificial birth control

Economy: LEDC's children are economic asset, viewed as producers rather than consumers - MEDC's is reversed

1 of 3

LEDC's

Have the fastese rate of population growth and greatest fall in fertility rates.

Average growth rate in an LEDC is 1.8%

Africa and Middle East its 2.3%

Fertility rates are declining in LEDC's

traditional religious views are a barrier to low fertility

2 of 3

MEDC's

growth is slow

fertility required to maintain population level (2.12 children per woman)

50 nations already below this level

governments are starting to act

Japan have £50million to stop fall in fretility

european countries have incentives to increase birth rates with financial benefits offered for a third child